Grinding, smoothing, and polishing apparatus



June 28, 1932. c. HEUZE Y 395%49823 GRINDING, SMOOTHTNG, A ND POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16,. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 28, 1932. I c. HEUZE 1,864,823

GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 28, 1932 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES HEUZE, OF .AUVELAIS, BELGIUM GRINDING, SMOOTI-IING, AND POLISHING APPARATUS Application filed October 1c, 1929, Serial No. 400,032, at in Belgium September 10, 1929.

This invention relates to an apparatus for grinding, smoothing and polishing plate glass, sheet glass, marble or other similar materials, in which tables carrying the materials to be treated travel beneath polishers which themselves move transversely to the direction of the travel of the-tables.

In the known apparatus, the polishing devices are carried by a series of joists, fixed movable, arranged transversely to the ta- As is known, at the beginning of the polishing, during the roughing out period. the felt pads of the polishers must be quite clean. As

the work advances and owing to the action of the polishing powder fed under the polishers, said pads become clogged and it is only then that the glass becomes glossy. In order that the pads be always suitable for the state of the glass which they cover, it is therefore necessary to mount the polishing devices on joists nearer and nearer to the spot where the polishing is finished. When the polishing devices reach this spot, they are returned to the point where the polishing began. During this interval, the pads are washed, cleaned and dried.

This invention has for object the avoidance of the numerous successive handlings of the polishing devices.

With this object, the polishers are mounted on trolleys which move continuously on guides, said trolleys traversing the tables at places nearer and nearer to the spot where the polishing is completed. Afterwards, the polishers are returned to the point where the polishing began, outsideof the line of the tables.

In order to diminish the number of polishing devices necessary for a given plant, the invention provides that the speed of the movement of the trolleys towards the point where the polishing begins may be greater than the speed of the movement of the trolleys when i the polishers are working.

During this movement, the polishers pass above cleaning members.

The trolleys may be actuated by any kind of driving mechanism. Especially, they may be displaced by a chain or an endless rope.

outside of the pathtravelled by the tables.

In this case, the polishers when changing the j direction of their travel, rest on platforms arranged on eachside of the row of tables.

Further details and specialities of the invention will become apparent in the description of the drawings annexed to this specification, which show diagrammatically and as an 4' example only, one embodiment of the invention.

Figure-1 is a plan viewof an apparatus according to the invention. o

Figures 2 and 3 are larger scale views in section respectively on the lines -III I and IIIIII of Fig. 1. I o

Figures 4 and 5 are similar views to Figure 1 of varieties of this-apparatus. f f

These figures show tables 2 carrying plates of glass 3, which travel with a continuous movement in the direction of the arrow X beneath the polishers These are carried by trolleys 5 which move continuously in the direction of the arrowY transversely to the direction of travelof the tables, and are guided by a monorail 6 for example. These trolleys butt against each otherby meansof the buf't'ers.5a. The trolleysmay also be connected to each other by link joints. Instead of moving perpendicularly to the direction of 'traveloof the tables. the trolleys 5 may also example in Figures 4; and 5.

The speed of the travel of the polishers may be constant or variable. It may be different to the speedof travel of the tables.

During their travel, the trolleys 5 approach move obliquely to this direction, as shown. for

the spot 7 Wherethe polishing is finished.

They repass a great numberof times above the tables. Preferably, each, passage includes a complete crossing of the tables. The trolleys changetheir direction between two consecutive passages, by following the curves 6a, so that the polishers do not touch the plates of glass. During this time, the polishers rest on platforms 8 arranged level with the plates of glass on each side of the latter.

When the polishing is finished, the trolleys 5 are returned to the point where the polishing begins at 9, by following the path 6?) outside the row of tables.

During their travel along 66, the polishers pass over brushes 10 which clean them so that they are suitable for roughing out the plates of glass when they arrive in 9 at the point where the polishing begins.

The speed of travel of the trolleys in the case shown, is greater than the speed of travel of the trolleys during the work of the polishers.

The trolleys 5 may be moved for example as shown by means of an endless rope 11 actuated by any kind of motor, not shown. Instead of a rope, a chain might evidently be used under the same conditions.

The travel of the trolleys might also be caused by means of a rack and a pinion carried by them and driven by the motor which serves to rotate the polisher.

This rope 11 is normallygripped by a clip 12. This clip is opened against a spring 12a when the end 12?) of one of its arms is displaced by a stop 6d fixed on the monorail 6. This stop begins, for instance, at 6 f shortly before the trolleys pass above the brushes 10. It finishes at 6g,'shortly before the polishers begin the polishing.

Each trolley 5 also carries a clip 13, normally closed by a spring 13a acting on the end 13?) of an arm. It is open when this end is moved against the spring 13a by a stop fixed on the monorail 6. This stop begins for instance at 69 and finishes at 6h. The clip 13 may grip a rope 14 which is driven by a motor not shown, at a higher speed than the rope 11.

Evidently, the invention is not exclusively limited to the embodiments shown, and many alterations may be made in the shape, the'arrangement and the constitution of the parts required for the embodiment, without exceeding the scope of the present patent. What I claim is 1. An apparatus for polishing plate glass, sheet glass, marble and other similar materials, comprising movable tables for carrying the materials to be treated, polishers displaceable on the-materials, carriages for supporting said polishers, means for displacing said carriages in a transverse direction to that of the tables, and guides for guiding said carriages, the said guides comprising parts extending in the transverse direction to that of the tables and curved part-s disposed on either side of the tables for connecting successively the first parts in series from the beginning to the endof the polishing zone. 2. An apparatus for polishing plate glass, sheet glass, marble and other similar materials,c0mprising movable tables for carry ing the materials to be treated, polishers displaceable on the materials, carriages for supporting said polishers, means for displacing said carriages in a transverse direction to that of the tables, guides for guiding said carriages, the said guides comprising parts extending in the transverse direction to that of the tables and curved parts disposed on either side of the tables for connecting successively the first parts, and means for returning successively each polisher from the end of its working zone to the beginning of this zone at a speed greater than that of the displacement of the polishers when the latter are working.

' CHARLES HEUZE. 

